Control device for cable control mechanism



Nov. 7, 1950 G. BODINAUX El'AL CONTROL DEVICE FOR CABLE CONTROLMECHANISMS Filed March 6, 1947 Patented Nov. 7, 1950 T5 OFFICE 2,529,447"CONTROL DEVICE FOR CABLE CONTROL f MECHANISMS Gaston Bodinaux, Liege,and Armand Malchair,. Herstal, Belgium, assignors to Charles Somville,

Brussels, Belgium Application March 6, 1947, Serial No. 732,790 InBelgium February 28, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946Patent expires February 28, 1966 8 Claims.

The control device, object of the invention, while ensuring arectilinear action and an amplification effect, is essentiallycharacterized from similar devices known, due to the extreme simheld bythe control cable, which is wound around the S-shaped profile head ofsaid lever.

Although of a very simple and economical design, this control device hasmany advantages. The cable neither slips nor rubs on the moving partsand its free portions adjacent to the head of the lever are alwaysdisplaced along a horizontal line and are not subjected to those flexioneffects which cause rapid deterioration and rupture of the cable.

On the other hand, the displacements of the cable are large relativelyto the slight displace.- ments of the handle. Consequently, when forinstance, the device is used as a brake control for a bicycle, a longbrake stroke is obtained, that is to say:

(1) a big regulation possibility, as the distance separating the brakeshoes from the fellyof the Wheel'may be increased, resulting in thesuppression of the warping action of said shoes on the wheel;

(2) a positive braking action, whatever may be the wear of the shoes;

(3) a possibility of using thicker shoes;

(4) a rapid and particularly supple braking, in spite of the bigger playexisting between the shoes and the felly.

Moreover, the proposed construction reduces the pulling strain on thecable fixation means to the casing. Finally, it much facilitatesdismounting of the wheel, specially in case of puncture.

As the manipulating lever constitutes reall a floating piece in thecasing in which it is mounted, this casing may be of very simple shape.

The appended drawing shows, as a non limitative example, a preferredembodiment of the new control device. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the contro handle in its casing;

Figures 2 and 3 are cross-sections through the casing before and afterassembling respectively, and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the casing.

In casing I is lodged head 3 of a lever 2 which is of steel, aluminum orany other metal or alloy, and is obtained by casting, punching orstamping. This lever is floating which means that it is simply keptfreely in the casing I by a control cable 4, due to the special shapegiven to the head 3. The latter is provided in fact in its middle partwith a groove A. B. C. having the shape of an S, which is extended atthe right top part by a gradient A. D. and at its left lower part by agradient C. E.

The end of cable 4 coming from the device under control such as a brakeor the like, is passed through a hole 5 bored into the front side faceof the casing-l; it is then wound around the S profile of head -3, thenleaves it to be secured in' casing by the-two stressed horizontalportions of cable 4, takes its inferior limit position and contacts thelower edge of the slot of the casing through which passes the handl ofthe lever,

A lug or nose 1, formed on the lower face of the lever 2', engages saidedge andprevents dis-' placement ofthe lever to the left.

Upon actuation of the lever 2, the latter makes a rotationmovementaround a fictive axis. (Era-- dient A. D. then comes gradually incontact with the top fixed horizontal portion of the cable, whilesimultaneously gradient C. E., moves rightwards and contacts the lowerhorizontal cable portion; thus cable 4 is longitudinally displacedtowards the right along a horizontal line.

It is to be noted that cable 4 in its section A. B. C. does not sliprelative to the head 3, and that section A6 of the cable does not varyin length, only the portion C5 is lengthened.

Due to this particularity, the lengthenings of portion C5 of the cableare amplified; to slight arcuate movements of lever 2, correspondrelatively large lengthenings of section C5. Whatever could be theimportance of the angle described by lever 2, the displacement of thecable is made along a horizontal line.

When the device is used as a bicycle brake control, a substantialdisplacement of the cable is obtained long before handle 2 has reachedits top limit position.

As soon as lever 2 is released, the pull exerted on section C6 by thecontrolled device, displaces the portion CE of head 3 to the left,thereby re turning the handle to its inferior limit position.

Of course, to lodge handle 2 as has just been described, a casing of anyknown construction could be used. But it is preferred to use a casing ofsimple construction, having no protruding part and needing neitherscrews nor fixation bolts, such as represented on Figures 2 to 4.

In a casing of that type, the envelope or casing l proper, made ofsteel,,aluminunxor any other. metal or alloy'andthe extremities" of acollar 8,

surrounding any supporting element such as the' pipe of a handle-bar,are maintainedinabutting relation by means of two spring blades 93welded or riveted respectively to the extremities of collar 8. Exteriorlugs ,formediat theebase: of blades 9, hook in appropriate slotslZ borednear the bottom of casing I, whilst top lugs I3 of these blades 9contact and press againstpipe ll) of the handle-bar (Figure 3).

We claim:

1. In a control device for causing longitudinal" displacement of acable, a manipulating'lever; a-

support frame, said lever comprising a". head:

freely lodged in said frame and a handle projecting therefrom, saidleverhead havinga substan-v tially. S.-shaped, cable-receiving groove.therein, and the cable to be displaced, being arranged.

around the lever head in said. groove. and anchored at one end to saidframe,,whereby the. head of the lever is boundandrestrainedinthesaidgroove parallel to said anchored endportion.

and away from said frame.

3. In a control device as claimed inclaim 1, said. support frameconstructed. and arranged-to confine the motion of the lever toapivoting of; the S-shaped. head, andto; limit the extentof:

said, pivoting motion.

4..The combination with a controldevice comprising a support frame andalever havinga head freely lodged in saidv frame, said. lever head beingprovided with a substantially S-shaped:

groove,.of a cable anchored-.atonezend. to said frame, arranged aroundsaid groove andpassing freely away from said device; whereby said cablebinds and restrains said lever head in the frame, and manipulation ofthe lever causes longitudinal displacement of the free length of cablein order-'to per-form useful work 5. The combination as claimed in claim4, wherein the cable is arranged so that the anchored endeportion. andthe free length thereof extend, parallel and in mutually opposed sense,tangentially from said S-shaped groove.

6-..The: combination. as claimed in claim 4, whereina" handle on saidlever projects from said frame-and the=latteris shaped so as to confinethemotion of thelever to a pivoting of the head thereof and. to limitsaid motion.

7. In a control device for the brake cables of a vehicle havingasteering gear, a support frame affixable to'said steering gear and amanipulatingv leverprojecting from said frame, said lever having asubstantially S-shaped head freely lodged. insaid frame. andithe controlend ofthe cable. in questionbeing. wound around. said 8- shaped head.andianchoredito. the frame, whereby'manipulation of the. lever causes.pivoting of said head and hence longitudinaldisplacement of .the cable.v

8. In a controldevice as claimed in claim17, said Sf-shaped. head havingextended portions prolonging the curved extremities of the S and adaptedto positively contact andguid'e thecable as the latter iswrapped'further around'the head of the lever upon manipulation of thelatter.

GASTON BODINAUX.

REFERENCES CITED" The. following referencesiareof record in the;

file of this patent: v

UNITED; STATES P'A' -I'lilN IS Number Name Date 1,176,763 L'ampert Mar.28', 1916 2,237,581 Schwinn Apr. 8,1941

1 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 471,910' Great Britain Sept. 13;1937'-

